Material feeding and cutting attachment for sewing machines



3, 01 1,460 CHMENT Dec. 5, 1961 F. HAFF, JR

MATERIAL FEEDING AND CUTTING ATTA FOR SEWING MACHINES 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 2, 1958 tb v 6 n AQAQQA FIG. 4

INVENTOR. FREDERICK Hal-g Jr.

FIQ

ATTORNEY Dec. 5, 1961 3,011,460

F. HAFF. JR MATERIAL FEEDING AND CUTTING ATTACHMENT 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 FOR SEWING MACHINES Filed July 2, 1958 INVENTOR. Flespmacz HAFE Jr- Dec. 5, 1961 F. HAFF, JR 3,011,460

MATERIAL FEEDING AND CUTTING ATTACHMENT FOR SEWING MACHINES 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed July 2, 1958 NN mm IN VENTOR.

F/zaDaam/c HBFEJr- United States Patent" 3,011,460 MATERIAL FEEDING AND MENT FOR SEWING MACHINES Frederick Half, Jr., Garden City, N.Y.,%assignor to G. Brat Co., Inc, Manhattan, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed July 2, 1958, Ser. No. 746,271 9 Claims. (Cl. 112-130) garees, pajamas, and the like. Ordinarily, such inelastic areas are provided by either cutting the elastic with scis- Sors before completing the sewing operation, sewing completely across the garment which results in a double thickness of elastic strip when the fly part is formed, or sewing to a certain point, leaving the fly portion of the article without elastic, and pulling the elastic and thread through the machine and cutting both the thread and elastic with scissors. Each of these conventional methods of handling these special types of garments is time consuming and costly. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a material feeding and cutting attachment for sewing machines which will enable the operator to cut the elastic strip material during the continued sewing of the inelastic material so as to skip a desired area, and then to reinstate the feeding of-the elastic material for the remainder of the sewing operation of each article being sewn.

CUTTING ATTACH- particularly to FIGURE 1 thereof, a material feeding. and cutting attachment for industrial type sewing maj v Another object of the present invention is tov provide a combined inelastic and elastic material feeding device having self-contained means for selectively cutting the elastic material at predetermined intervals without interrupting the sewing of the inelastic material and without having to remove or adjust any of the operating parts during the continuous sewing operation.

Still another. object of the present invention is to pro vide a material feeding and cutting attachment which can be readily secured to industrial type sewing machines that will not interfere with the normal sewing operation of the machine and which can be easily withdrawn for threading the machine in between continuous operations or opening for said threading purposes.

All of the foregoing and still further objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from a study of the following specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein: p 7

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view, with parts broken away, of a material feeding and cutting attachment for sewing machines made in accordance with the. present invention; I

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged top plan view of the attachment shown in FIGURE 1 in a normal operating position;

FIGURE 3 is a view similar to FIGURE 2, showing the elastic strip severing device in an actuated position;

' FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary transverse cross sectional view taken along line 44 of FIGURE 3;

' FIGURE 5 is an enlarged fragmentary exploded perspective view of certain parts of the cutting device forming a part of the present invention; and

FIGURE 6 is an exploded fragmentary perspective view of one type of hem that can be made with thepresent invention.

' Referring now more in detail to the drawing, and more 3,011,460 Patented Dec.5, 1 861,.

chines made in accordance with the present invention is shown toinclude a base plate 11 that is adapted to be securely mounted upon the bed 14 of the machine. This;

base plate 11 has flange portionsdefining a shallow well'? 15 immediately in front of the needle plate 13 ofYthef machine which is preferably a special purpose multiple needle type machine.

An elastic strip arcuate guide plate 16 is adjustably.

mounted by means of a flange 19 upon the base plate 11 within the well 15. This guide plate has a transverse slot 17 formed by a bridging member 17a and adjacent to the" inlet end thereof which opens toward a pair of inwardly 1 This assembly also includes a feed mechanism for selectively imparting longitudinal movement to the elastic strip.

As is more clearly shown in FIGURE 4 of the drawing, a

pair of side plates 12 rigidly attached to the sewing machine rotatably support a transversely extending rocker shaft 22 upon which a pair of rocker arms 24 are-secured in spaced apart parallel relationship by means of associated. set screws 23. A connecting rod 25 extends between the free ends of the rocker arms 24. A bracket 28 serving to anchor one end of spring 29, the adjacent rocker arm 24 anchoring the other end is selectively secured at a-predetermined point along the length of the rod 25 by means of a set screw 30. If desired, the elastic strip 20 may be automatically fed and tensioned by means of a metering attachment so as to intermittently feed predetermined lengths of elastic strip through the guide plate. In any event, however, a push type feed finger 32 carried by a bracket 33 biased downwardly by spring 29 is adjustably secured along the length of the rod 25 by means of a set screw 34 and is provided for initiating the forward move ment of the strip through the outlet end of the guide 16' at the beginning of each elastic strip sewing operation.

This feed finger 32 overlies the inlet end of the guide plate 16 so that upon forward movement thereof th e lead-;

ing end will frictionally engage the adjacent portion of the elastic strip carried upon the plate 16 to urge it forwardlythrough the guide flanges 1 8 a predetermined distance-to enable it to be picked up and sewed with inelastic material that is also fed toward the needle plate of the machine through a folder 42. This feed finger 32 is actuated in response to rotation of a lever 38 that is secured upon an outer extension 21 of the rocker shaft 22, as is clearly shown in FIGURE 1 of the drawing. A compression spring 36 normally resists this forward movement of the.

rocker arms 24 and feed finger 32 and thus automatically returns the feed finger to the initial position after each stroke. An adjustable set screw 37 carried by a bracket mounted upon one of the side plates 12 limits the return movement of the rocker arms 24 so as to automatically above the base plate 11 by means of a pivot type screw 46. A compression spring 74 that encircles a positioning pin 72 which is secured at one end to a mounting 71 carried by the bracket 45 by means of a screw 70, acts between an upwardly extending post 73 through which the opposite end ofthe pin 72 extends to normally urge the bracket 45 and folder 42 toward'the normal position'il lustrated in FIGURE 2. The inside edgeof the; bracket 3 45 defines a cam surface 48 that is engageable by a pin 49 that extends outwardly through a longitudinal slot 541 in an elongated cubical housing 51 secured to the base plate 11. This pin 49 is secured to a knife block 61that is slid'able within the housing 51 for reciprocating l'o'ngitudinal movement. Another pin 60 also secured to the block 61 extends upwardly and outwardly through a longitudinal slot 59 in the top side of the housing 51. This operating pin 60 is also received within a short longitudinal slot 63 which extends through an intermediate portion of an operating lever 55. One end of the lever 55 is pivotally mounted by means of a pivot screw 56 upon the base plate 11, while the opposite end thereof defines a finger pressure plate 57 for selectively effecting rotation thereof in a direction toward the folder 42. A tension spring 66 secured at one end to the lever 55 and at the'opposite end to a mounting pin 67 carried by the base plate 11 normally pulls the lever 55 toward the normally retracted position illustrated in FIGURE 2.

It will now be recognized that'in response to a pressure against the pressure plate 57 of the lever 55 in a direction toward the material folder 42, the slide block 61 within the housing 1 will move longitudinally toward the elastic strip guide plate 16. Simultaneously, the outwardly extending pin 49 will engage the cam surface 48 of the bracket 45 so as to retract the inelastic material folder 42 to an adjusted position 42a, as shown in FIG- URE 3, out of the path of movement of a slide block 61. This slide block 6 1 at the front end supports a blade 64 extending through the bottom of the housing 51 in direct alignment with the terminal edge 69 of the guide plate 16. Thus, as the blade 64 traverses the edge 69', any elastic strip supported upon the guide plate 16 will be severed. As soonas the lever 55 is released, the spring 66 will return it to the normal position illustrated in FIGURE 2 of the drawing, during which return movement the blade and slideblock will be retracted within the housing 51 and the inelastic material folder 42 will be returned to the normal position, with the end of the severed elastic strip remaining within the guide plate 16 for the next operating cycle.

In actual use, the garment is fed through the folder 42 and sewed by the machine any desired amount, following which a foot pedal or other actuating device attached to the crank arm 38 is depressed so as to cause the feed finger 32 to initiate the forward movement of the elastic strip 20 sufliciently to enable it to be picked up with the inelastic garment material and fed into the needles of the sewing machine. The operator then continues to sew the inelastic material passing through the folder 42 and the elastic strip passing through the guide plate 16 with the lever 38 immediately returned to the at rest position. After a predetermined amount of elastic strip material has been supplied, the strip is severed by the operator or some other automatic device by moving the lever 55 toward the guide 16. By so severing the strip, the feed thereof is automatically interrupted so that the sewing of the garment may be continued without stopping the machine. If desired, the elastic strip can be automatically metered for preselected lengths by apparatus (not shown), whereby the pause in the feed of the elastic strip will automatically instruct the operator to sever the elastic strip during the continued sewing of the garment. Since the slide block 61 and blade passes beneath the folder 42, there is no danger of cutting the inelastic material during the cutting of the elastic strip, nor does the longitudinal movement oftheslide block 61 interfere with the continuous feeding of the inelastic material through the folder 42.

Of course, various types of seams and hems can be therebetween. The multiple rows of stitches 84 produced by the special purpose sewing machine extend through the opposite lateral edges of the elastic strip to secure it in proper position. With the attachment of the present invention, it is thus possible to provide gaps or skips 85 between successive lengths of elastic strip, material 83 whenever desired.

While the'present invention has been primarily described as a partially manually operated device, it will sewed with this attachment, depending upon the type of be recognized that it can be readily made to function completely automatically by connecting the operating lever 38 of the feed finger to the elastic strip metering device so as to actuate it in response to the passage of a predetermined interval in the continuous feeding of the strip therethrough. Similarly, the operating lever 55 may also be connected to the metering mechanism to actuate it in response to the passage of a predetermined length of elastic strip therethrough. Otherthan these twosteps, the rest of the operation of the attachment is completely automatic.

While this invention has been described with particular reference to the construction shown in the drawing, it is to be understood that such is not to be construed as imparting limitations upon' the invention, which is best defined by the claims appended hereto.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In a material feeding and cutting attachment for sewing machines comprising, in combination, a guide having an inlet end and an outlet end for directing a strip of material longitudinally therealong, rocking feed means supported adjacent to said inlet end of said guide for selectively initiating movement of a strip of material along said guide, an oscillatable cutting means supported adjacent to said outlet end and cooperating with the edge of said guide for shear-like severing a strip of material passing along said guide, said cutting means comprising a bladeslidably supported'adjacent to said outlet end of and cooperating with the edge of said guide for reciprocating movement transversely of said guide, link means for selectively actuating said blade, a base plate having securing means for attachment to the bed of the sewing machine, a housing mounted upon said base plate slidably supporting said blade and having an upwardly opening longitudinal slot, a guide pin carried by said blade extending outwardly through said slot, and said link means comprising a lever pivotally supported at one end upon saidbase plate at a point laterally spaced from said blade, a longitudinal slot intermediate the ends of saidlever slidably receiving said pin, and means at the opposite end of said lever for effecting pivotal movement thereof to effect longitudinal movement of said bladerelative to said guide.

2. A material feeding and cutting attachment for sewing machines comprising, in combination, a guide having an inlet end and an outlet end for directing a strip ofmaterial longitudinally therealong, feed means supported adjacent to said inlet end of said guide for selectively initiating movement of a strip of material along said guide, movable cutting means supported adjacent to said outlet end of said guide for severing a strip of material passing along said guide, a material folder disposed above said guide for folding another strip of material passing therethrough, a bracket means pivotally supporting said folder above said guide formovement between a normal overlying position relative to said outlet end of said guide.

and a retracted position closer to said inlet end thereof,

and cam means on the bracket means and cutting means and acting between said cutting means and said folder for effecting movement thereof toward said retracted posi tion in response to actuation of said cutting means.

3. A material feeding and cutting attachment for sewing machines as set forth in claim 2, wherein said feeding means comprises a finger'having one working end extending into said inlet end. of said guide, and. rocker means 3 for effecting rotatable longitudinal movement of said finger toward said outlet end of said guide, said working end of said finger being engagable with the strip of material within said guide for effecting longitudinal movement thereof.

4. A material feeding and cutting attachment for sewing machines as set forth in claim 2, wherein said cutting means comprises a blade slidably supported adjacent to said outlet end of said guide for reciprocating movement transversely of said guide.

5. A material feeding and cutting attachment for sewing machines as set forth in claim 4, further comprising link means for selectively actuating said blade.

6. A materialfeeding and cutting attachment for sewing machines as set forth in claim 5, wherein said cam means comprises a cam carried by said bracket means of said material folder, and a pin carried by said blade slidably engaged with said cam for urging said bracket means in a direction away from the path of movement ofsaid blade during longitudinal movement of said blade toward said guide.

7. A material feeding and cutting attachment for sewing machines as set forth in claim 5, further comprising spring means yieldably retaining said blade in a retracted position laterally spaced from said guide.

8. A material feeding and cutting attachment for sewing machines as set forth in claim 5, further comprising spring means yieldably retaining said'finger in a retracted position.

9. A material feeding and cutting attachment for sewing machines as set forth in claim 8, wherein said rocker means comprises a rocker shaft, a pair of radially out wardly extending arms secured in spaced apart parallel relationship upon said rocker shaft, said finger being s cured to said arms, and a crank arm secured to said rocker shaft for rotating said shaft.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,070,137 Jennings Aug. 12, 1913 1,169,088 Kershner Jan. 18, 1916 1 1,255,501v Barron Feb. 5, 1918 1,575,453 Shutzer Mar. 2, 1926 2,685,854 Ackerman et a1. Aug. 10, 1954- 2,761,401 Dolney Sept. 4, 1956 

